Eye on Nature

A flock of starling- or blackbird-sized birds arrived on my lawn with triangular rusty orange patches on top of their heads. What were they?
Brigid Rodriguez
Dunmore East, Co Waterford

At Inchydoney, in west Cork, I watched a brown bird about the size of a starling feed adeptly from the flowers of a yucca plant. It had an apricot-coloured patch on the front of its head.
Dorothy Evertsen
Bandon, Co Cork

The pollen-marked starlings have not alone found the nectar in New Zealand flax in Waterford: they've also discovered it in Cork.

I was surprised to see a carp in the lake on St Stephen's Green. Apparently, the lake is fed by a pipe from the canal at Leeson Street bridge, and recent works along the canal involved pollution that must have forced the fish to take refuge in the pipe as a safe route out. The warden said that several carp have arrived in the lake.
Peter Pearson Evans
Ashford, Co Wicklow

At low tide I watched mullet swimming languidly in the Liffey at the Four Courts.
Pat Nash
Knocklyon, Dublin

Michael Viney welcomes observations at Thallabawn, Carrowniskey PO, Westport, Co Mayo, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Please include a postal address